Summary

Gabriela Rosales, a high-school teacher in Mexico, reflects on the challenges and rewards of teaching, emphasizing the profound impact students have on educators' lives and the struggle to balance professional dedication with personal well-being.

Abstract

Gabriela Rosales works with teenagers in a Mexican border town, where the teaching profession is undervalued and underpaid, yet she finds joy and fulfillment in her role due to the connection with her students. Despite the low pay, societal criticism, and increasing demands, including health risks, Rosales and many of her colleagues remain dedicated to teaching. The bond they form with their students, whom they consider their own, is a significant reason for their commitment. Rosales highlights the emotional toll of teaching, the challenge of avoiding burnout, and the importance of creating a safe and nurturing environment for all students. She also notes the lasting impression left by students, particularly those labeled as "troublemakers," whose personal stories often reveal the struggles they face. The article underscores the passion and care that many teachers invest in their work, driven by the moments when students grasp new concepts and the ongoing relationships with former students.

Opinions

Teachers, including Rosales, are underpaid and undervalued, yet they find intrinsic value in their work through their interactions with students.
The teaching profession is subject to societal scrutiny and unrealistic expectations, including the recent expectation to risk personal health.
Despite the challenges, many teachers stay in the profession primarily because of their strong emotional connection to their students.
Teachers often feel a sense of ownership and responsibility for their students' well-being, which makes leaving the profession difficult.
The article criticizes the lack of understanding from those who have never managed a classroom, such as some politicians.
"Troublemakers" often have compelling personal stories that endear them to teachers and highlight societal issues.
Teacher burnout is a real and growing concern, necessitating a balance between professional dedication and personal self-care.
The most committed teachers are those who create safe environments and are deeply invested in their students' success and emotional health.

Students Are the Best Part of the Job

Always

I’m a high-school teacher in a Mexican border town.

I work with students whose ages range from 15 to 18 years old, although sometimes I have had the occasional 20–22-year-old student.

Sometimes I get along with my students.

Sometimes I don’t.

Sometimes they make me want to pull all of my hair out. Sometimes I thank heaven because they were sent to me.

But I’ll always miss them.

You see, students are the best part of the job. They will always be the one thing that makes the teacher profession enjoyable.

Think about it:

Teachers receive a meager wage, especially if you compare it to the amount of work they have to do.
The teacher profession is continually being demonized. And we are called cruel and yet, at the same time, too soft on our students (what’s going with that, by the way?).
Everybody has an opinion on how we should be doing our job, including politicians who have never been in front of a class with 40 to 45 teenagers.
And lately, we are even expected to risk our lives.

“So, if the teaching profession is so bad, why do you all stay? If it is so bad, then leave.”

Yeah, I have thought about it lots of times. In fact, since I have some projects in development, it may come a time soon when I might do just that.

I have talked to other teachers about this, and we tend to come to the same conclusion:

It is because of the kids.

They are our kids.

Years may go by, sometimes decades, but when we see a person who used to be our student, we recognize her as one of our own, even if we can’t fully remember all of the names. And they will always think of us as their teacher.

The student-teacher bond is strong. That’s why so many teachers find it so hard to leave.

Just thinking about it feels as if you were abandoning the kids, leaving them in who knows what hands.

It doesn’t matter if we are talking about a problematic student. Heck, I have come to find that so-called “troublemakers” tend to leave a more significant impression in my mind than other students. Once you get to know what’s behind their tough act, you find experiences that would bring any grown-up down on her knees.

Yes, it is true: there are some teachers out there who hate students and teaching.

I’m not talking about those teachers here.

I’m talking about the ones who live for that moment when the students “get it.” They just get it. And it happened because of something the teacher said or did.

I’m talking about the teachers who create a safe environment for every person in their class.

I’m talking about the teachers who, when they are unable to help a student, spend lots of sleepless nights, wondering what they could have done differently.

In other words: I’m talking about the teachers who care.

Of course, there is a dangerous side to this. If you are not careful, you’ll use up all of your mental energy.

Teacher burn-out is real, people. And it happens every day more and more.

We need to strike a balance, giving our students our best efforts but, at the same time, keeping enough energy to tend to ourselves and our loved ones.

Sometimes the balance goes off…but teachers will always keep on trying.

Why?

It’s because of the kids.

It’s always because of the kids.

The Double-Shift Prejudice

On how a Mexican budget policy hurts students’ well-being

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_________________________ Gabriela Rosales shares her life with a husband, a son, and 11dogs. She currently works as a high-school teacher in a Mexican border town by night, and types Medium articles and screenplays by day. Yeap, in that order.